Eligible Veterans may receive VA disability compensation and health care for illnesses related to their military service. Surviving spouses, dependent children and dependent parents of Gulf War Veterans who died as the result of illnesses related to Gulf War service may be eligible for survivors' benefits.

Presumptive Illnesses

VA assumes that certain illnesses are related to qualifying military service. These are called “presumptive illnesses."

Gulf War Veterans with the following presumptive illnesses do not need to prove a connection between their military service in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations and these illnesses:

• Medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses (popularly called "Gulf War Syndrome")
• Infectious diseases

Also, VA presumes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans with 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service.

How VA Determines Presumptive Illnesses

VA decides which Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses are presumptive based on medical and scientific evidence of connections between the illnesses and exposure to toxic agents, environmental or wartime hazards, or preventive medicine during military service. View a list of Gulf War exposures.

VA contracts with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to scientifically review the evidence for possible connections. Find out more about Institute of Medicine reports and VA findings.

VA and other researchers continue to conduct research to investigate whether service in the Gulf War are linked to illnesses Gulf War Veterans have experienced.

Non-Presumptive Illnesses

Claimants may still seek to establish service connection individually for other, “non-presumptive” diseases and illnesses related to service in the Gulf War.

For non-presumptive illnesses, there must be medical and scientific evidence that shows an actual connection between a Veteran’s illness and his/her military service.  Contact your nearest VA benefits office to learn more.

VA Benefits for Illnesses Related to Gulf War Service

Eligible Veterans may receive VA disability compensation and health care for illnesses related to their military service.

Surviving spouses, dependent children and dependent parents of Gulf War Veterans who died as the result of illnesses related to Gulf War service may be eligible for survivors' benefits.